Fär Göhn Brewing

In Culpeper, VA, a new craft brewery has been quietly serving beer for just a few weekends. Fär Göhn Brewing opened its doors with little fanfare. Owner Steve Gohn told me he wanted to make sure he could properly serve his beer to visitors, without a long line at the bar or the need to turn folks away. Most of the publicity so far has been through the brewery's Facebook page.

It was via Facebook that I discovered the brewery doors were open, so I made plans to visit this weekend. When I arrived Saturday afternoon there were just a few folks at the bar, but more and more folks soon arrived; I think the word is getting out. I opted to try a flight of all seven beers being offered. The flight consisted of Aesel Kölsch, Yeager Mtn Pale Ale, Ferhoodle Hefeweizen, Imberbrau Ginger, Sleeping Elefant IPA, Dunkel Dimmer Porter, and Grundbier Scottish Ale. There were actually eight glasses in the flight as they had a special serving of the Porter that had been sitting on cocoa beans. 

As I worked my way through the flight, I was impressed by the quality of all the beers. There wasn't a disappointment in the bunch. The Kölsch was especially well done with a crisp hop flavor and a clean, dry finish. The Pale Ale was citrusy and quite refreshing. The IPA had a crisp citrus hop flavor, with a distinct peach fruitiness. Often a brewery's Pale Ale and IPA end not being so distinctive from one another, but I was impressed by the variety between the two. The Ginger beer was a unique offering; not a flavor that particularly appeals to my tastes, but it seemed to be quite popular. The Dunkel Dimmer Porter that was amended with cocoa beans was especially flavorful. I think it could best described as "chocolate beer" and Steve Gohn described it "like a Tootsie roll." Fär Göhn offers a nice variety, and to a beer the flavors in the flight were distinctive and enjoyable.

As for my favorite, it was a tossup between the Kölsch and the Pale Ale. I enjoyed them both enough to have a run off round with full pints of both. That race is still undecided, so I reckon I'll have to go back for another review. Fär Göhn Brewing is housed in a nondescript building that gives little clue of the good beer awaiting inside. The brewery offers classic German styles, along with offerings of other brewing styles and flavors. The beer is fresh, unfiltered and flavorful. I don't expect this place will remain a secret for long.